MMD ‘disowns’ MPs who endorsed Hichilema

By NAKUBIANA MUMBUNA –
THE MMD has said its Members of Parliament (MPs) who have decided to endorse Hakainde Hichilema for the January 20, 2015 presidential election have no blessings of the party.
Speaking at a Press briefing at the party secretariat in Lusaka yesterday, MMD Mwandi MP Michael Kaingu, who was flanked by former Solwezi MMD MP Lucky Mulusa, said the decision by the MMD lawmakers to endorse the UPND leader was made in their own personal capacity.
Dr Kaingu and Mr Mulusa said they were speaking on behalf of the party.
Some MMD MPs led by Lunte parliamentarian Felix Mutati and his Nalikwanda counterpart Geoffrey Lungwangwa announced that they would back Mr Hichilema.
But Dr Kaingu called on MMD supporters not to be misled by the two MPs and think that the MMD had entered into an alliance with the UPND.
He said the fate of the MMD MPs would be decided by the MMD national executive committee.
Dr Kaingu said the MPs had no powers to make party decisions and that their action should not be regarded as the party decision.
He said MMD had its own candidate to contest the 2015 presidential elections whom all MMD members should support, stressing that this was former president Rupiah Banda.
Dr Kaingu, however, said that Nevers Mumba would remain the party president but was not the presidential candidate of the party for the upcoming election.
“Our constitution is very clear, the party president does not automatically become a presidential candidate. The party can adopt another candidate other than the party president,” Dr Kaingu said. “So if Dr Mumba is campaigning then he is doing so for our presidential candidate who in this case is Mr Banda.”

Times of Zambia